Carlton coach Mick Malthouse says he is disappointed for sacked utility Josh Bootsma, but his club did all it could for the 21-year-old.

Cowards, each and every one, the same types who spit filth at Adam Goodes and Neville Jetta and Cyril Rioli.

“Since I’ve been at the club and I know before I got to the football club, the club has put an enormous amount of effort into the players.

Carlton's Josh Bootsma has been sacked after inappropriate use of social media came to light. Photo: Justin McManus

“Josh has taken considerable time up with our people, trying to organise his life.”

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Malthouse said Blues players supported the decision to axe Bootsma, who had a year to run on a contract signed last year, despite Bootsma not getting a chance to officially address them.

“I know superficially that all are on board. There has been no indication that players aren’t behind what the club has done at all. And they have had an opportunity to speak about it, I think every player in the room understands the extent to which this football club has gone to enhance their own lives on the field and off, and in particular know how much time has been put into Josh to make it easier for him to play AFL football.”

Peta Searle, St Kilda's new assistant coach. Photo: Penny Stephens

It is understood Bootsma shared explicit images on the Snapchat application with a teenage girl - “the final straw” which led to his dismissal - after many other indiscretions.

Speaking on Fox Footy last night, Hawthorn veteran Jordan Lewis expressed some sympathy for young players who take social media use for granted.

“The generation coming through now, they’ve basically grown up with an iPhone in their hand. And it’s not until when you get to AFL level where everything is scrutinised that you realise that what you put on social media five years ago people can still access it…”

At the same time the Bootsma story was breaking, the football world was celebrating the appointment of Peta Searle as the first female assistant coach at AFL level. Reaction to the announcement revealed another unfortunate aspect of social media accessibility.

SEN morning host Andy Maher started his Morning Glory program Wednesday morning with a passionate statement on the topic.

“In the wake of the affirming positivity regarding Peta Searle’s appointment at St Kilda, it was put to me that there has been an undercurrent of vile social media reaction.

“Typically mindless stuff from gutless bastards not prepared to put their name face or voice to anything. Cowards, each and every one of the same types who spit filth at Adam Goodes and Neville Jetta and Cyril Rioli.

“You don’t know them because they live under rocks, they slide between the cracks, like only people without spines can. I’m not smart enough to know what needs to be done about the voice that these scumbags suddenly feel they have, but I do know that something has to be done. For one encourages another and one is way too many.”

Searle was hailed by the mainstream media, but Maher said he was shocked by some of the Facebook posts he saw commenting on her appointment.

Sue Maclean from Cyber Safety Solutions offered SEN listeners some salient advice for if they are confronted by vicious online attacks.

“Block the person on whatever site it is.

“Make sure you report the comments, the picture, the posts – legitimate (outlets) such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter have reporting mechanisms.

“When it’s at the extreme end … when it becomes cyber bullying, so it's incessant, ongoing or it's derogatory, [or] breaches our anti-discrimination laws, you must report it to the police.

“We must get some runs on the board when it comes to some convictions to send the message out there that this is not acceptable and it is criminal.”

- with Jon Pierik

16 comments

Surely Bootsma's wage will be in the salary cap. If not Buddy Boy will just do something silly in four years time and the Swans get off scott free

Commenter

Gaz

Location

Yarrawonga

Date and time

June 04, 2014, 10:49AM

Carlton and Bootsma have got off lightly - If an Essendon (or Collingwood) player did this, this would be front page news and would be headlined for the next month.

Punish Carlton now

Commenter

Van Der Here

Location

Bomberland

Date and time

June 04, 2014, 1:31PM

I say good on you Peta Searle, and well done St Kilda. Not a token appointment, by all accounts a well-deserved one.

Commenter

JD

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 04, 2014, 11:07AM

Peta has wonderful credentials and am sure will do a terrific job as development manager in nurturing the young boys. Congratulations to St Kilda and particularly Alan Richardson for looking outside the square. Good luck Peta!

Commenter

Catherine

Date and time

June 05, 2014, 6:33AM

Jordan Lewis is partially correct in his comment. It really has not much to do at reaching AFL level it is more about growing-up and acting like a grown up. Lets forget this role model stuff. The club contracts a player and renumerates, trains and lavishes the best medical treatment available on them. The players must realise they as contracted employees of a club and represent that organisation at all times during the period of the contract. Just like a sales rep. caught drink driving they are sacked, just like people from defence - sully that reputation and they are sacked etc. The players need to realise they have a responsibility to the club and through the club to the fans. They are not the be all and end all.

Commenter

Watcher

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 04, 2014, 11:17AM

Very true and they should also be told they are FULL TIME employees.

Just because they don't work normal hours/weeks doesn't anything. There are plenty of jobs, journos being a prime example, or police and defence force personnel, where this isn't the case.

Commenter

Jez

Location

Melb

Date and time

June 04, 2014, 12:24PM

Block them and report them sounds simple, but its easier said than done.I had another parent contact me , and send me a screen shot, of something written about my daughter on Facebook.My daughter had never met or communicated with the culprit, but we suspect possible mutual 'friends' may have been involved.It is near impossible to contact Facebook unless you are on the actual page, to report the abuse. I tried, but never got any response. I wasnt a 'friend' , nor was my daughter , so we could not directly display the page. The person who told us was no longer a 'friend' or the culprit online.I contacted the police, and although not dismissive, I got the feeling from the call that they could do little .Then I tried to find out a bit about the person, and it turned out it was a 15yo girl, who had left her home and school to live rough, and her parents had substance issues. I decided to let it go, and eventually I was told the abusive material was removed.Reporting to Facebook was pathetic, and has to be made easier.One look at the material, and Facebook would have blocked it.Fortunately my daughter , although upset, was strong enough to dismiss it.

Commenter

Not So Easy

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 04, 2014, 11:30AM

Given it's such a trivial inconvenience to stay off Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, you really have to wonder at the stupidity of people puttting themselves and their narcissitic, uninteresting trivia on these forms of social media. As for Bootsma, I'd be much more interested in Carlton's response had he been a good player - how tough would their love be then? The guy sounds moronic, and the thought of his unattractive bits on the internet makes me feel queazy. That his girlfriend is about to give birth makes his idiocy all the more ridiculous, and makes you wonder about his parents.